1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical energy producing devices, and, in particular, relates to electrical energy producing devices that harness natural forces, and, in greater particularity, relates to electrical energy producing devices that harness wind energy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Access to relatively cheap energy has been the foundation of the modern American society. Because of its integral part in all aspects of commerce, significant increases in price have a dramatic affect on America life. From buying bread, driving cars, to heating houses, every thing becomes more expensive. The recent increase in the cost of oil per gallon in 2008 by speculators and oil producing countries, mostly foreign, has again sent up a red flag about our vulnerability to foreign powers. Numerous politicians have promised greater oil production in the United States, but that may only be a partial long-term answer to our energy needs. Technology companies related to energy are now starting to look with greater interest at alternative energy sources such as solar and wind to supplement and help reduce our dependency on oil.
In the past, wind related technology has centered on the use of large structures with aircraft type blades that are typically attached to an electric generator on a horizontal axis. Some environmentalists have opposed these devices because of their large size and the need to place them where wind is typically present such as along the coastlines and on mountain ridges, basically being visual pollution. To avoid some of these complications, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,239,036 discloses a linear motion wind driver power plant having a plurality of carriers moving around a connected track. Each carrier has a sail mounted thereto. The movement of the carrier by wind generates electricity to be placed on a power grid. U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,369 discloses a vertical axis wind turbine having a plurality of sail shaped blades around the vertical axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,239,036 discloses a typical wind turbine, FIG. 1, having a generator, FIG. 2, attached to a blade axis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,159 discloses a wind turbine having a rotor with blades with the blades attached to a central axis on a tower. FIG. 1c shows a rotor ring 6 attached to the outer blade tips. The rotor ring 6 engages a stator sector for generating electricity. FIG. 4a discloses the interaction of the rotor ring and the stator. U.S. Pat. No. 7,233,129 discloses a means for transferring energy in proper phase from a wind turbine to an energy grid.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,369 discloses a vertical axis wind turbine. A plurality of sail-like structures are attached to the central axis and to the ring-shaped base having locations therein for electricity generating magnets and coils. Magnetic levitation is used to assist in reducing friction between the turbine and the base support. U.S. Pat. No. 7,191,710 discloses the use of magnetic levitation and propulsion to generate electricity having a plurality of energy storage masses. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,326 by Post entitled, “Magnetic Levitation System for Moving Objects,” discloses a system called Inductrack. Permanent magnets in the moving object interact with inductively loaded closed electrical circuits to produce a repelling force.
The above U.S. patents are incorporated by reference.
Accordingly, there is an established need for an improved wind turbine having a blade rotor for generating electricity distally located from the axis of rotation and further having means to minimize friction.